Ventricular arrhythmia, such as Ventricular Fibrillation (AF) and Myocardial Infarction (MI), is a common cardiac condition which may contribute to significant risks of electrophysiological disorders, leading to morbidity and mortality. ECG (electrocardiogram) and ICEG (intra-cardiac electrograms) signals are utilized to detect and diagnose ventricular arrhythmia, especially ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular infarction. Early arrhythmia recognition and characterization, such as of ventricular tachycardia and myocardial ischemia, is desirable for rhythm management of cardiac disorders and irregularities before a rhythm progresses to life-threatening arrhythmia, such as ventricular infarction and fibrillation. Known systems for ventricular arrhythmia detection and diagnosis typically focus on electrophysiological data and waveforms and the QRS complex, ST segment, T wave and U wave features. Typically 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and multi-channel intra-cardiac electrograms (ICEG from invasive cardiac catheters) are used as a diagnostic reference for evaluating a cardiac rhythm and event.
However known methods have limitations and are often inconvenient. ECG signal and waveform morphology changes are detected relatively late due to ventricular function variation. For example, if there is an early change or variability of ventricular function, blood contraction and hemodynamic characteristics are affected first. Electrophysiological signals show variation and variability later. Additionally, accurate clinical assessment of the circulatory status is particular desirable in critically ill patients in an ICU and for patients undergoing cardiac, thoracic, or vascular interventions. As patient hemodynamic status may change rapidly, continuous monitoring of cardiac output provides information allowing rapid adjustment of therapy. Usually non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) and least invasive IBP are used to monitor hemodynamic changes of cardiac tissue.
Known clinical methods for ventricular arrhythmia (such VF and myocardial infarction (MI)) detection and diagnosis based on electrophysiological signal (including ECG, ICEG signals) involve a need for extensive clinical knowledge and experience. Inaccurate, subjective and non-quantitative evaluation and diagnosis may cause delay in cardiac rhythm management, such as drug delivery and emergency treatment. Cardiac function analysis and characterization based on intra-cardiac signals and data, such as ICEG signals, may provide better results and diagnosis than the external methods, such as 12-lead surface ECG signals but invasive methods may increase the risk to a patient. Known methods for detection of hemodynamic blood pressure (such as NIBP signals) wave morphology changes fail to differentiate ventricular arrhythmia type and categorize the severity of arrhythmia pathology. There are multiple known ventricular arrhythmia (such as fibrillation) analysis methods for detecting and treating ventricular pathology by varying heart rate, using medicine or using an implantable cardioverter. However known methods may not operate well in a noisy environment since ventricular activities may be buried in noise and artifacts. A system according to invention principles addresses these deficiencies and related problems.